Love Is A Flower, You Are Its Seed
by IceBlueWings
Summary: Levy disappeared from Fairy Tail five years ago, leaving no trace of her whereabouts. Although there is no lead, Fairy Tail still searches for her, and Aide McGarden makes an appearance.  GajeelxLevy.  T for cursings.
1. Aide

It's been five years since Levy disappeared without a trace. It was a simple mission that she took on herself in a town not too far from Magnolia, but right after that she was gone. Had she died? Did something happen along the way? But nobody had seen her or heard of her. Needless to say, Fairy Tail were devastated and worried sick. People cried, and they went to the town where the mission she took was. The mission had been fulfilled successfully, but there were no leads to the bubbly blue haired girl's presence.

Why had she disappeared? Was it voluntary, or did something happen to her? No one knew. Over time the members of Fairy Tail started to lose hope, thinking that she could have even died.

Until a young boy appeared on the entrance of the guild.

* * *

><p><strong>1. Aide<strong>

"He's just five years old, Laxus." Mirajane said, feeling sorry for the little boy. The boy had collapsed in front of the guild in starvation and exhaustion. Mirajane had given him a large meal and he dug into it in seconds, thanking her tremendously. For a young boy, he was smart, and incredibly polite.

Laxus, on the other hand, felt that a little boy such as him was unneeded in the guild, and he would only become a pest in the future. "The kid can't even use any magic." He scoffed, displeased by Mirajane's sympathy for the young boy.

The boy, with short black hair and a fringe that was awfully familiar, stared up at the mean looking lightning user. "I can!" He said, getting off his seat and looking determinedly at Laxus. He took a deep breath. "Solid Script: Fire!"

And from the wave of his fingers appeared the word that shot balls of fire. Although Laxus could put it out effortlessly, the whole guild was in shock. Being shocked was an understatement. No words could describe the rush of emotions that the members of the guild felt by the young boy's display of magic. Even Laxus was speechless.

Tears started to well up in Mirajane's eyes. "Solid…Script." She said in disbelief. She went towards the young boy. "What's your name?" She asked gently.

The boy grinned. "Aide! Aide McGarden!"

* * *

><p>It wasn't the person they were looking for all this while, but Aide was related to Levy, no doubt. After he had his fill of food, he took a rest. Since the members did not want to tire and frighten the boy, they let him have his rest in a bedroom in the guild.<p>

Lucy and Lisanna could not hold back their tears as they remembered their dearest friend. In fact, a lot of people cried the moment they heard the familiar surname from the boy's lips. But questions still remained and they needed to ask. What they were worried was whether the boy was only a distant relative, and he did not know anything about Levy.

Mirajane wiped away her tears gently as she still stood behind the counter. Laxus sat in front of her, trying his best to console her. Despite his rude attitude, he cared about Mirajane. In the span of five years, Mirajane and Laxus became closer than ever, and before they realized it they had fallen for each other. It was a struggle at times to be with each other because of their opposite personalities, but they still love each other.

In the span of five years, Jet had found a woman and married her, and he now has two children. Droy became the godfather of Jet's children, much to his joy, and the two men still worked as a team in missions. Over time, their feelings for Levy changed to that of a younger sister, and they believed that she was safe, somewhere.

Once again, everyone was determined to find Levy with Aide's appearance. "We have to let him know." Mirajane said, and everyone nodded in agreement, although they had frowns on their faces. Panther Lily frowned in concern for a moment. He wasn't quite sure how that man would react, but the Exceed hoped that it would be good news for the man.

* * *

><p>"<em>Gajeel." <em>She called his name, earning a gentle smile from him. Only she was capable of making and seeing such a gentle smile on his lips. Only she could make him run around various towns looking for a special item for her birthday. Only she could force him to make a tremendous effort to please her. Only she could make him brood in negative emotions all day.

And only she could appear in his dreams and make his memories of her last forever.

He opened his eyes, stared at the ceiling above his bed, and placed his arm over his eyes. He took deep breaths. They were to help him calm himself down. They were a morning routine. _A mourning routine_, he thought sarcastically as his eyes started to prickle with fresh tears. But he wasn't going to start to break down, even in privacy. That's why he took deep breaths.

He got off his bed and headed to the shower. Another day, another mission, another act. That was all he did since she left. He took missions to pay for his rental and his food. He took missions to occupy himself with meaningless fights with stupid ass monsters or people he didn't give a flying fuck about. He could have stayed in the guild and drank all the alcohol he wanted but getting worked up by a fight and forgetting her while he concentrated on those fights were a much better alternative.

So it didn't help his heart when Natsu and Gray came knocking on his door and told him that a young kid named Aide McGarden is at Fairy Tail.

It didn't help when he suddenly had a rush of excitement from the possibility that she might be closer than he thought.

* * *

><p>Only she could break his heart, scatter it around, and leave without a word. Gajeel went to the guild and was shown to the bedroom where Aide was sleeping. The boy, content with his meal, had a pleasant smile on his face. A familiar pleasant smile that made Gajeel gulp and had his palms sweaty.<p>

He left the room a second after he had seen the boy. He thought about Levy. Did she leave because of this kid? Did she leave with a guy no one heard of, and conceived a kid with him? He thought about the boy. Why did he appear now? Was he Levy's kid? Who's his father?

And for a moment, he paled. What if…what if this kid is _his_?

"Fuck." He cursed aloud, digging into his meal of iron. Panther Lily sat beside him and wondered whether he should ask anything at all. Lily wondered whether Gajeel thought this was good news.

Lily decided to ask. "What are you thinking right now?"

"What the fuck am I supposed to think?" Gajeel said. "She's gone and that kid's here and it's been five years."

The Exceed frowned in concern at Gajeel. "That kid could be yours."

"I've thought about that." The iron dragon slayer kept eating.

* * *

><p>It was not too long after Aide woke up, and he appeared before the guild members again. Everyone was tense in anticipation, not knowing whether to ask him or be asked by him. In the moment of silence that followed, the young boy met Gajeel's piercing red eyes, and smiled. Gajeel froze as the boy made his way towards him. Aide tugged Gajeel's pants. "What?" He asked a bit too menacingly, and he was chided by Mirajane.<p>

Aide, however, did not falter. He kept smiling, and Gajeel felt his heart constrict. He noticed so many things – his hair, soft like hers and a fringe that was similar; his eyes, the same olive green eyes that the man used to look into; and the smile that he kept seeing in his dreams, that bubbly smile. Keeping his composure, the boy took a seat beside him. "I know you," The boy whispered, although the whole guild could hear due to the silence. "Mama said you're one of the strongest people in the world." He grinned.

Gajeel was speechless. Surely the 'mama' this boy was talking about is Levy? Lucy stepped in and smiled gently at Aide. "So, Aide, who's your mama? And where is she?" She asked, squatting down to be at the same eye level as the boy.

"Mama…" The boy looked down. "Her name is Levy." He said, and even though everyone had suspicions of his mother being the person they were searching for, some still gasped and were in shock, Gajeel included. Aide had tears in his eyes that fell uncontrollably. "She willingly became magic, to protect me." He sobbed.

"Mother is always with me," He explained. "When I use magic, it's her magic. And now she is part of the world's magic. So everyone who uses magic is also using her magic."

It was confusing, needless to say. Seeing the boy cry disheartened everyone (or at least nearly everyone) so they ended the conversation and made the boy feel at home. But at the corner of the bar sat Makarov, Gajeel, Laxus, Mirajane, Erza, and Gildarts, with Makarov having a slight comprehension of what the boy said. "Magic doesn't simply disappear. It returns to the pool of magic that is available in this world. Perhaps what the boy means is that Levy has turned herself into magic, fusing with the magic in the world."

"Old man," Gajeel spoke. "Does that mean she's dead?" He asked softly, watching the young boy laughing at Natsu and Gray's antics.

"Not necessarily. She could have been on the brink of death when she decided to turn herself into magic, but that doesn't mean she's dead. She has certainly not disappeared from this world. There must be a way to have her back to normal." The Master explained.

Erza looked at Gajeel. "When there is a thread of possibility, we grab it." She said determinedly.

Mirajane smiled encouragingly, and Laxus merely made a sound of 'hmph', but he didn't look unsupportive.

* * *

><p>The whole guild had thrown a party for the boy's arrival, and before long, majority of them passed out from having too many drinks. The only few who were awake were Aide, Gajeel, Mirajane, Laxus, and Lucy. They were discussing who should take him home with them until they could make plans to bring Levy back from just a mass of magic. Laxus had opted out, without surprise. Aide looked at the other three. They were talking without having the boy in the conversation and asking for his opinions, and that irritated him a little.<p>

"When there is a problem, Mama always asks what I think." He finally spoke up, bringing him the attention of the other three.

Gajeel scoffed. "What could a kid—" He was interrupted by Lucy.

"What do you think, Aide? Do you want to join me, big sis Mira, or Gajeel?" She asked.

Aide looked pensive while the Lucy and Mirajane smiled at him, and Gajeel had his arms across his chest trying to look indifferent to it all. The truth is, he wanted to have a talk with Aide, but he wasn't sure how well he could take care of the boy. Especially since he hardly ate food other than iron, and he just isn't a man who worked with kids.

"This is tough," Aide said. "Mama said if I needed help, I should ask Mirajane, Lucy, Erza, or Juvia." He said. "Do you think mama will be angry if I wanted to be with Gajeel?" He asked the two ladies. They started to giggle, much to Gajeel's irritation.

"No, she wouldn't. Knowing your mother…" Lucy paused. They weren't even sure if Aide was Levy and Gajeel's child, and Gajeel's expression clearly tells Lucy not to head to that direction. "She would be perfectly fine with it." Lucy added quickly, laughing nervously. "Well, Gajeel, you heard him."

Gajeel wordlessly looked at the boy. Strangely, the boy didn't seem to be scared of him. Kids were naturally scared of his demeanor, and he couldn't blame them nor did he care, but this kid kept smiling as if Gajeel was a long time acquaintance.

* * *

><p>While they were walking back to Gajeel's home, he decided to ask whether the kid knew anything about himself. "Where's your father?"<p>

"Father?" He repeated. Gajeel smirked. The way the boy said it sounded just like Levy. He remembered vividly the times when she repeated his words in the cute way of hers. He really is Levy's son. "I don't know. Do I even have a father?" He asked himself in wonder.

Gajeel ruffled his head. "Don't think too much about it," The gruff man said, although it meant that he could be a possible candidate. "Was…was your mom always with a man?" Gajeel asked.

Aide looked at Gajeel. "Mama was popular with men, but she was always with me. She rarely went to town, unless we needed to buy food. We lived in the forest and mama taught me her magic." He said proudly.

For a five year old, he was smart. He still had the typical child-like naivety, but he was honest and he had spirit.

They arrived at Gajeel's house and he showed Aide in. Gajeel's home was not messy, but it was not completely neat either. It was just well enough for a man to live in, especially for a man who merely lived to take on missions and fight to his heart's content. Gajeel was about to let Aide have the bed when Aide made himself comfortable on Gajeel's couch. He placed a blanket over the boy as the boy went to sleep instantly. Gajeel could not help but look at Aide's face for a while. Maybe Levy looked like this when she was a young girl, but he wouldn't deny that he despised the thought of Levy having conceived a child with another man.

Gajeel didn't seem like a man who would care about anyone, but that was wrong. He clearly did, and it bothered him. It bothered him, but he wouldn't let Levy go like this. He never did.

It was past midnight when Gajeel woke up from soft sniffs and sobs. Who else would it be but Aide? Gajeel walked softly towards the boy, who slept on his side so his back faced Gajeel. He placed his hand on Aide's shoulder, making the boy turn around to look at Gajeel. Gajeel's red eyes pierced through the darkness and it could have been frightening, but Aide was not scared. Far from that, he felt relieved. "I miss her." Aide said, holding onto Gajeel's hand. "She told me to run away, and then she turned into magic."

Gajeel's free hand twitched. Aide was there to witness the final moments before Levy turned into magic. But now is not the time to ask him for the story. "You okay?" Gajeel asked Aide.

Aide nodded, but his small hands were now gripping on Gajeel's dark shirt tightly. "Don't leave me alone." Aide pleaded, and for a second, Gajeel saw Levy inside Aide, pleading him the same thing. With an inaudible sigh, Gajeel nodded, picking up the small boy and carrying him to the bed and tucking him in, with Gajeel slipping into space beside Aide. The boy buried his face into Gajeel's chest, much to Gajeel's surprise. Maybe he should be hopeful of the possibility that this boy is his son, he thought to himself, when he heard Aide's muffled voice.

"I miss her."

Gajeel's eyes softened as he looked at the little boy. "…Me too." He said.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

I couldn't help but write this story. It's one of those usual storylines, I know, but I still enjoyed writing this. Especially when it had to do with a lot of Gajeel's inner emotions. I also imagined him to have shorter hair in this story, although in the same hairstyle. Aide is said as how you say 'aid', not 'ay-dee' or whatever. To be honest I don't even know how my future chapters will turn out to be for this story, but I think I'll have fun writing this. I know Gajeel seems really out of character here, but I want to show that he has changed in a few ways in his personality because five years before he had a deep relationship with Levy.

And I haven't stopped in writing my previous story (Just a little more).


	2. Look at Me

**2. Look at Me**

Aide woke up snuggled in Gajeel's warmth. He lifted his eyes to Gajeel, who still slept soundly and snored. The little boy grinned. He knew he has a father, although whether his father still existed was another story. But the boy took this small moment as an opportunity to just imagine that for once, he had a father, and that his father is Gajeel. If only he had mama too…

Gajeel woke up a few seconds after, and it took a second or two for him to remember that he had a little kid with him; Levy's kid. He looked down at the grinning boy, who had been awake before him. "Good morning!" Aide said cheerily, to which Gajeel only grunted in reply.

Gajeel yawned, getting off his bed and to the shower, leaving the boy alone for a while. By the time he got back, Aide was talking with Panther Lily who had come into the house through the window. It was not odd for Lily to come to Gajeel's house, but he had not expected Lily to keep a conversation with Aide.

"You're small, Lily." Aide said.

"I can transform into a larger appearance, although it takes quite an amount of magic and I can only stay in that form for a limited period of time." The Exceed explained.

"I see," Aide said. Concentration and interest in their current conversation was visible on his face. "Have you read a book about how to stay in the larger form longer?"

Lily chuckled. "I do not think this is something you can study from a book."

Aide nodded. "I see," He said. "Mama said you can't learn everything from books too."

Gajeel hid a smile. Her interest in books hasn't changed ever. "Hey, we're going to the guild." Gajeel said, bringing Aide's attention to Gajeel.

The boy grinned. "Okay! But…" He looked apologetically at Gajeel. "May I use your shower?" He asked softly and politely. It made Gajeel wonder how Levy taught him to be so respectful.

"Do what you like." The man said as the boy made his way to the shower and took a shower himself. He wondered if a kid of his age usually showered alone. He wondered if the boy actually showered with Levy. His mind wandered to Aide taking showers with Levy, and then to Levy's smile, and her body, and the image of her being drenched in water, when the boy had finished and reappeared before Gajeel, looking refreshed although his hair was dripping with water. Looking at his wet head, Gajeel sighed and knelt down, putting a towel over his head and towel drying the boy's hair for him.

Aide giggled. "Sometimes I would run around the house all wet and mama would be chasing me too, and she was all wet."

The words he said were meant to be innocent, but Gajeel thought of another meaning behind them. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Isn't that troublesome for your mom?" The dragon slayer said. Aide giggled again. "Mama would catch me with a towel and scold me, but she would hug me afterwards."

At that moment, Gajeel felt an intense feeling of longing to see Levy again. Even though the conversation was unrelated, Levy's spirit was there and that was all it took for him to pause and look into Aide's eyes that were identical to Levy's. The boy looked at the gruff man curiously when Gajeel stood up and placed the towel over a chair. "Let's go." Gajeel said.

* * *

><p>Lily had gone ahead since he could fly, and Gajeel left him to let the guild members know that the two were on their way to meet everyone. It was time to search for a way to bring Levy back, and Aide could help them. They walked towards the guild, Aide walking in cheery strides when he nearly fell into the river if not for Gajeel catching him. "Watch it, kid." He said, pulling the boy back on his feet.<p>

Aide nodded. "Mama fell into a river once." He said, and Gajeel looked at him, encouraging the boy to continue. "I was really scared. She swam out of the river though. I asked her why she fell in, and she said that she felt like it. Then she said she wouldn't do it again, because she didn't want to leave me."

Gajeel paled for a moment. Did Levy have serious bouts of depression? What had led to her leaving? If it was the child, why made her so afraid that she had to leave? Why couldn't she trust the people of the guild she grew up with to help her raise the child? Why didn't she tell him? Why couldn't she trust him?

There were too many questions that the boy would not be able to answer.

* * *

><p>There was an odd feeling of attachment that welled up inside Gajeel when he watched the young boy eat his breakfast. Mirajane had lovingly tended to Aide's well being the moment he stepped into the guild. It was probably just her little quirks, Gajeel thought. He didn't know. Aide was coddled by the females in the guild, and he turned into a bashful, pleasant, polite kid and had the male members wish they were treated the same way by the ladies.<p>

Lucy would sometimes sit silently next to Natsu and sniff for a while, no doubt remembering Levy. Natsu would offer consolation to her and say something stupid, earning a punch or two from her. Happy, Carla, and Lily would entertain Aide too, and he seemed to be very interested in the Exceeds, although he mentioned that he has met a few Exceeds before.

Gajeel watched Aide's every movement without any expression or word. He looked at the young boy's smiles, laughter and the twinkling of his eyes as he was entertained by various people of the guild. Aide would often come back to Gajeel's side for a reason that the man couldn't understand, but the boy would silently sit next to him while eating a snack or reading a book that was once read by his mother. Almost everything about Aide screamed Levy. He really is Levy's child, Gajeel thought, his own memories of her flashing in his mind.

Gajeel could have just pushed the kid aside and say he didn't want to take care of a five year old, but he would be lying about it. He felt closer to the kid than he could ever imagine, and it didn't take him a long time to realize that he really cared for the kid. Maybe it was because Aide is Levy's kid. Even so, Gajeel was fond of the kid, and he thought that he would take care of Aide as best as he could.

"So, Aide," He heard Mirajane talk to the young boy. "Do you know what happened to your mother before she became magic?" She asked gently, knowing that it would be a sensitive matter to the boy, but it was also a sensitive matter for everyone in the guild.

Aide's lips became a thin line, his expression grave and sad.

"_Mama!" He called out in fear as she was battling a large monster; a monster that they have never seen before since they started living in the woods. "Mama!" _

_Levy glanced behind her to see her fearful child. "Don't come near! I'll handle this, hide somewhere!"_

"_No!" He said stubbornly, tears streaming down his face in fear and concern, and he watched his mother fight the monster that may have been a little, if not equally, stronger than her. Every hit she took made him cry and every cry of pain that escaped her lips made him have the urge to help her. But he just wasn't strong enough, and she wouldn't even let him come anywhere closer from his spot._

_It took a lot of time, and a lot of life from Levy when the monster was finally defeated. It was victory on their part, but a loss as well. Levy collapsed, blood stained and exhausted, and Aide ran to kneel by her side, fresh tears running down his face as she looked up at him with a smile._

_Levy sighed. "Oh, I haven't got any strength left." She said with a small laugh._

_Aide cried. "Mama, I'll get help! Just wait! And don't sleep!" He said, only to hear his mother stop him. _

"_Mama will be fine." She said lovingly. "Remember how I said I wanted to be with you forever?" She asked her son, who nodded in response. "I'll turn myself into magic; I think I can do that, and I will be by your side whenever you need me." She gathered her strength to place her palm on his soft cheek, the cheek she always kissed goodnight._

_Aide shook his head furiously. "No, no! Don't go!" He said in a tone just like a child who is being forced to do something by his parents._

_Levy giggled, her eyes closing slowly. All of a sudden, her body was fading into glitter. She was turning herself into magic, and Aide clutched onto her hand desperately. "Mama!"_

"_Aide, go to Fairy Tail. Your family is there." And those were the last words she spoke before she finally disappeared, leaving him alone._

Aide was sobbing as he finished the tragic event and he was hugged by Mirajane, who was silently crying. Lucy sobbed and was held in Natsu's arms. Jet and Droy tried desperately to hold back their tears but to no avail; their fists were clenched tightly.

Gajeel said nothing, and stared ahead at nothing. His face was stern, devoid of emotions, but everyone could see that he was equally sad, but he smirked. He patted Aide's head, surprising the boy and everyone around. "Be proud of her, your mom's one hell of a strong woman."

And Aide grinned widely, his tears subsiding at Gajeel's words. "Yeah!"

* * *

><p>"Um," Lisanna smiled gently yet hesitantly at Aide. "Are you sure your mother became magic?" She asked him. It was a question that would upset Aide, but it was a little hard to believe as well.<p>

"Yes, she became magic." Aide said confidently. "I can feel her when I use magic. She is there." He said.

Lisanna, Mirajane, Erza, and Lucy looked at each other. Natsu and Gray were equally silent, undoubtedly thinking as well. Gajeel munched on his meal of iron while he thought as well, wondering if the boy was just faking it. Lost in his thoughts, Aide stole a small chunk of iron. He popped it into his mouth.

"Aide!" He jumped at Lucy yelling out his name. Everyone reacted in the same way as Aide, and they looked at Lucy and Aide.

The young boy stared at Lucy. "Spit that out! You can't possibly—" Lucy said, but the boy munched on the iron in the way Gajeel did, shocking everyone including Gajeel. It couldn't be a mere coincidence that he could eat iron.

"But…it's food, right?" The boy asked. The boy looked at Gajeel, his eyes hinting the same question, mixed with fear that he might have done something wrong. "I'm sorry for eating your food but it looked tasty so I…" The boy had tears welling up in his eyes as he looked at the floor in repentance.

Gajeel composed himself. "No, it's…it's fine." He said, ruffling the boy's head. "You didn't do anything wrong." _Fuck_, he thought. It was not that he didn't want a kid with Levy. He wouldn't deny that it surprised him to see this boy eat a chunk of iron so easily. Normal humans don't do that, and that meant the boy had a potential to be a dragon slayer.

The fact that Aide had just eaten iron right in front of him was evidence that Aide was his son. _Fucking hell_, he thought. It didn't upset him the slightest knowing that Aide is his son, but what hurt him most was that Levy didn't even tell him; she took his son, and disappeared from his sight.

_We could have brought him up together. Fuck, we could have been together! You didn't need to disappear! You wouldn't have left this boy alone if you stayed! You wouldn't have become…magic._

Gajeel covered his face with his palm, the tears threatening to spill out. Everyone noticed the man's emotions, and he couldn't quite easily hide it anymore.

And he screamed her name in his mind over and over again. He kept screaming a scream that was ever so silent, but ever so heartbreaking.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

I feel so sad.Poor Gajeel and Aide, I wish he could meet Levy right this instant. Also, apologies if it doesn't make sense that Aide can be a potential dragon slayer because I don't even know whether it's something humans just learn or are born with. I was just assuming that Aide can be a potential dragon slayer just like Gajeel.

Reviews, please?


	3. Feel Me

**2. Feel Me**

The next morning, Gajeel woke up to realize that Aide was not sleeping beside him, nor was he on the floor. In concern, he got up to see that Aide was sitting in his living room, and the boy was concentrating on something when Gajeel felt a large amount of magic rise in the room although it was only for an instant. The boy smiled and turns around to see Gajeel standing there, and he greeted him a good morning.

"What were you up to?" Gajeel asked in a slightly throaty voice from having just woken up, though his expression was more curious than upset.

"Every morning I check if mama is with me." The boy said innocently with his large smile. "Yesterday I forgot to check, so today I wanted to let her know that I haven't forgotten about her."

Gajeel stared at the boy for a moment. "So all you need to do is gather your magic?" He asked.

The boy nodded. "Gather magic, and just feel. Think of mama, and you will feel her in your magic." He explained, his voice a sounding soft and encouraging. There was confidence in his voice that his mother lies within magic, and it wasn't just his magic, it was everyone's magic. Gajeel had to find out, so he decided to try.

"Alright," The man said, taking a seat beside the boy, much to the boy's delight. Gajeel took a deep breath. It was not too hard for him to gather magic around him, he's always done it. But thinking about her, trying to feel her there in this mass of magic was something different. He's never done it before but as Gajeel Redfox, he would never let it go if he couldn't feel her right now.

And in the depths of the magic that rose within him and in the room, which made Aide stare in awe, Gajeel searched. He searched frantically for Levy's presence. Her soft warmth, the memories they shared, the love he felt for her – he let everything go in hopes of them reaching her.

For a short, yet permanent moment, Gajeel felt her. It was as if her hand was placed over his, another hand on his cheek, and he swore he could have even seen a faint glitter of light in front of him. When he focused back to reality, the magic dissipating, he noticed Aide was looking at him with wide, excited, and slightly teary eyes.

The boy shakes his head and grins. "Your magic feels so warm, like mama's." Aide sits in front of Gajeel. The warmth from Levy's touch lingers on his hand and cheek, as though she was still there, touching him. But he had to believe that he reached out his thoughts and feelings to her, even if she was in the form of magic. He placed his hand on Aide's head and ruffled his hair.

"Mama never told me anything about my father, but if I do have one, it would be nice if it was you." The boy said, making Gajeel freeze in his spot and looking down at the boy in a fixed gaze. The boy held Gajeel's larger hand with both his hands, grinning from ear to ear. Gajeel silently gulped. Should he tell the boy that he could possibly, no, probably be his father? But he snapped out of his thoughts when he heard his stomach grumble.

And Aide's stomach grumbling. "Oh." The boy said, placing his hand on his stomach.

Gajeel sighed, standing up. "Let's go to the guild and get some food."

* * *

><p>"I have, without a doubt, felt Levy." Gajeel told Makarov, Mirajane, Erza, Lucy, Natsu, Gray, Wendy, Happy, and Carla as they were in a corner of the guild again while Gajeel ate his iron meal and Aide was eating his breakfast with Jet and Droy. Droy, particularly, seemed to dote on Aide a lot. Perhaps it was his habit after being a godfather to Jet's children, and also because Aide is Levy's child.<p>

"So how does she feel?" Makarov asked, earning a few glares from the group except for Natsu, Wendy and Happy. He waved his hand dismissively. "You know what I mean."

Gajeel couldn't quite hide his smile. "Warm, just like I remember her."

They smiled. "All the more reason to get her back to her original state!" Natsu said, with Happy following with an "Aye sir!".

"Right," Erza said, looking thoughtful. "We need to find out how to reach out to her closer than simply gathering our magic." She said. She had a small smile on her lips. "It's funny how during these situations, Levy would appear and tell us what she knows with her information. Master, do you know anything?"

Makarov had his eyes closed, looking thoughtful as well. "If I'm not mistaken, there are various cores of magic in the Earth's land. Magic at these cores are powerful, but untouchable, simply because we do not have the capacity to even withstand them. However, we may be able to reach out to her from there and pull her from the depths of magic. It will be difficult, but it can be done."

Gajeel was undoubtedly excited, until Lucy asked one of the most important questions regarding the matter. "But…where are these cores?"

Everyone fell still, having no answer to that. "We'll travel and search it!" Natsu said.

"Yeah, it shouldn't be hard if we believe we'll find it!" Gray said in agreement.

Gajeel stuffed iron into his mouth, munching it when he heard a familiar voice. "You're going to bring mama back?" Aide asked, looking at all the adults around him. Gajeel stood up, having finished his meal, and took a swig of water.

"That's right," The man ruffled Aide's head. "We're going to see her everyday once we bring her back home, to Fairy Tail."

* * *

><p>It was an idea that was pitched by Aide, but to Gajeel it was brilliant. Aide suggested that they drop by the house that Levy and Aide used to live in, although it was a place quite far from the city, and it was sort of in an unknown town. Regardless, Gajeel, Aide, Lucy, Natsu, Happy, Wendy, Carla, and Lily decided to go, in hopes of being able to discover something in the house that Levy might have left behind.<p>

It took about four days for them to reach the house, and when they finally arrived they couldn't get in. It wasn't because they didn't have a key to the door, it was because they were being blocked by a rune that surrounded the house. It was obvious that Levy set up the rune. Aide squatted down at one area of the rune, to the surprise of everyone else. He took out a pen and rewrote the rune. "Okay, we can get in now." He said, walking through the barrier.

Lucy gave a small laugh. "You learned a lot from your mother, didn't you?" She asked Aide.

He nodded. "Mama said I'm a quick learner. And incredibly smart." He boasted, grinning in the memory of her praises.

The group went inside and took a look around. It wasn't a large house, and it was enough for two people. Lucy and Erza had chuckled. "The house resembles her room," Erza said. "Books everywhere." Sure enough, there were books piled in the corners of the house and around. Sometimes they would accidentally step on books and papers that lay on the floors. None of them were surprised.

Aide rummaged in a drawer that was near a bed, and smiled when he found what he was searching for. In his hand was a small pouch filled with items that seemed to be his treasure. "It has things that mama and I really care about," He said, opening the pouch and taking out a few things. One of them caught Gajeel's eye, and he took the object from Aide's palm.

Aide looked at Gajeel curiously. "Mama said that's an important thing, so you better not lose it." He said. "Sometimes she'd put it on her finger, but take it off by the end of the day."

It was a simple silver band, the ring that Gajeel gave to her on her birthday, away from the eyes of everyone else from the guild. It was the first and last time he had ever given her (or anyone at all, for that matter) a birthday present, and it was also proof that back then, they were falling for each other. That night when he gave her the ring, she was elated. It was a bold move for him, and even bolder that the first present he has ever given was a ring, but she loved it so much that she leaped into his arms and hugged him dearly.

He smirked as he reminisced the event. He passed it back to Aide. "Keep that safe." He said, and the boy nodded. Stuffing the small pouch into his bag, the boy pranced around elsewhere, probably remembering the house and exploring it once again.

Gajeel looked around the room while Aide walked away elsewhere. He couldn't imagine how she would have lived her life with Aide. He knew that sometimes she would even skip meals when she was immersed in a book. Had she accidentally done the same in this house?

He noticed a neat pile of similar looking books on her desk. They were not a series of novels because there was nothing on the cover. When he picked one up and opened it, he realized it was her handwriting. Right after that, he realized these books were her diaries for the past five years. Knowing that they could be vital to the unanswered questions he had, he took them all and placed them into a bag, except for one which seemed to be during the first year she had left the guild. He opened the first page, reading the first entry of the book while he took a seat on the bed.

_This is my first entry. I have decided to leave Fairy Tail because I've found out that I'm pregnant – with his child. I couldn't tell him that I am, not after how he said he would be 'damned' if he had any kids. And I don't know what to do. I don't know how to go about this. I don't want to trouble everyone in the guild and I can't bear to raise a child in his presence. But I can't abandon this child too. _

There was a thick dash on the sentence after the last line, which Gajeel guessed that it was probably a mistake or something she didn't want to put down in words.

_I really love him, I really do. That's why I can't just abandon this baby. I'll love him with the strength of two parents, and maybe one day, I'll tell the child that Gajeel is his or her father. I don't know when that'll be, and I don't know whether I'll be able to tell this child when that time comes, but I just know I'll have to do it. I know I'm silly for doing this. I'm so silly, I thought that I should go back to the guild so many times and explain it to Gajeel, or anyone at all. _

_But I'm scared. I'm so scared of everything. _

Gajeel had been gripping the book by then, gritting his teeth and resting his forehead on the palm of his hand. He was mentally cursing, remembering the conversation they had which she referred to in this diary entry. It was a day when they had gone on a mission together – one of those rare occasions when they did, because sometimes they didn't feel as though they spent enough time together – and on the train ride, Levy saw a baby with his mother. She started to play with the baby enthusiastically, giggling at the baby's laughter.

"_Babies are really cute, don't you think?" She asked Gajeel when she stopped playing with the baby._

_Gajeel grunted, indifferent. "I don't quite see it."_

_Levy grinned. "Oh come on, Gajeel. I bet your heart would be captured by our own child, before you know it." She said with a giggle. "I wonder how your child would look like."_

_Gajeel scoffed. "I'd be damned if I have a kid. Kids are trouble, they always need attention, and they're downright annoying." He said._

_Levy faltered, although it was unnoticed by Gajeel as they arrived at their destination. _

He knocked his fist against his forehead. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." He whispered, realizing that she had taken it harsher than he could have imagined. Sure, back then he thought kids were annoying and they needed all the attention they could get. But now, looking at Aide, he regretted not being able to be beside him when he was a baby. And that conversation took place a long time ago, before he seriously thought of living with her forever.

And just when he thought of telling her that he wanted to be with her forever, she had disappeared without a word, the reason being the fact that she was carrying his child. Come to think of it, where is Aide?

He got up, stuffed the diary back into the bag and called for the boy. "Aide!" He repeated, walking outside to the backyard where he saw the boy sitting on a tree branch, his legs dangling as he hummed a song that was not familiar to Gajeel.

Gajeel nearly had a shock. There is a five year old boy – correction, _**his five year old son**_ – sitting on a branch of a tall tree, looking frighteningly precarious although Aide seemed perfectly fine. "Aide!" He yelled, surprising the boy and he slipped, falling off the tree. "Crap!" Gajeel said, running towards his son.

But to Gajeel's surprise, Aide's fingers worked quick. "Solid Script: Cushion!" He fell on the word that was soft as a cushion. "Why'd you scare me? You're just like mama. She would start shouting my name for no reason when I'm up there."

Gajeel sighed in relief. He stomped towards the boy and placed his hands under Aide's arms, picking him up with ease. "Of course she'd shout! You're all the way up there! The only person we know who would sit on trees like that is…" He faltered. "Me." Aide looked at him with a grin. "A-Anyway, it's dangerous. That's why we call your name. You could have fallen off and died like just now!" Gajeel scolded the boy.

Aide pouted, looking away. "I could always use my solid script like just now." He said stubbornly.

"Don't talk back to me, kid." Gajeel said.

They two heard giggles from behind them. Gajeel turned to see Lucy, Natsu, Happy, Wendy, Carla, and Lily, looking at Gajeel and Aide with amusement. "Gajeel, you're acting just like a father." Lucy said.

"They act the same too. The father causes trouble, and so does the son." Natsu said with a cackling laughter.

Wendy laughed lightly, when Gajeel barked at Natsu. "Huh? When have I ever caused trouble? It's always you!" He said, when Aide started laughing adorably and catching the attention of Gajeel and the rest.

Aide looked at Lucy. "Do we look like family?" He asked, his eyes shining excitedly at the blonde woman.

Lucy grinned. "Of course! It would be nice if you are a real family, don't you think?"

Aide grinned, a grin that tugged on Gajeel's heart and warmed his heart. "Yeah!" The boy said, enjoying the fact that he is still being carried by Gajeel, although it didn't seem as if he was being carried gently.

They decided it was time to head back. Gajeel was setting Aide back on his feet when the boy still held onto the man's arms with his tiny hands. "Huh? What are you doing?" Gajeel asked the boy, who looked intent on not letting go.

Aide looked shy, but he looked up at Gajeel with determination. "Carry me again." He said.

Gajeel stared at the boy's expectant eyes. "Huh?" was all he could say in response. "Carry…?" Gajeel imagined himself carrying the boy the way he did earlier, and he just couldn't imagine himself to be doing that for a longer period of time. "No." He said.

Aide frowned, tugging on his arm and shaking his head furiously. Gajeel wondered if Levy had to put up with this too. "You're five years old," Gajeel said. "You're too old to be asking for this."

Still, Aide shook his head furiously, keeping a stubborn attitude. His eyes started to tear up and Lily appeared, chuckling at the two. "Just carry him, there's no harm in that." The Exceed said with a smile. Gajeel sighed. "Fine, fine." He picked the boy up, having him sit on his arm as Aide nestled his head in the crook of Gajeel's neck comfortably in silence.

_Having a son,_ he thought as he felt Aide snuggle in his arms, _isn't bad, Levy. _He looked up at the sky. _We just want you home._

* * *

><p>When he appeared in front of the rest, Natsu laughed again. "Yo, dad!" He teased.<p>

"Shut up, salamander!" Gajeel barked. "Why don't you go and make kids with Lucy!"

Lucy blushed a deep red. "D-Don't say something stupid, Gajeel!" She yelled.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

I had a short moment of writer's block until I finally got myself to write a touching chapter. I hope it has been somewhat touching for all of you when you read this, because I was. I really would love to see Gajeel's more sensitive side. I know he has shown some brotherly acts towards Wendy and I really like those. Thank you for reading! Reviews, please!


	4. I Am Here

**4. I Am Here**

Gajeel spent the night reading entries of Levy's diary. He realized that as he read, Levy showed mixed signs of emotions. At times she was happy and at times she was sad. But the change in each entry was about the baby she carried, which wrote how her belly was becoming bigger. He could imagine her belly big, but was it really as big as he imagined it to be? In some entries, she wrote that she would wake up to rush to the washroom and throw up. He could only feel guilty as he read through each entry, knowing that for five years, she took care of herself and her – no, their child – and now Aide, at the age of five, has made his presence in front of Gajeel.

But whenever Gajeel thought of telling Aide that he is in fact, Aide's father, Gajeel falters. After all these years, even though Aide is still five, is Gajeel worthy enough to enter Aide's life as a father? What could he ever accomplish in Aide's life as a father? He has no idea how to fulfill his role as a father.

It was nearly two o'clock in the night when he heard light sobbing. He set the diary down and switched off the lights, and walked silently into the bedroom where Aide sleeps. The boy's back was facing him when he sat down gently on the bed. For a second, Gajeel contemplated on the best way to approach the boy. In the end he just placed a hand on Aide's arm. "You okay, kid?" He asked.

Aide turned around halfway to face Gajeel, still sniffing and sobbing. Gajeel figured he had a nightmare. The boy stares at Gajeel for a moment, and while Gajeel waited for a response, the boy had turned around and curled under the blanket. Gajeel's eyes narrowed. _Patience, man. Patience_, he thought to himself as he decided to sleep as well. He crawled into the bed slowly, trying not to create any disruptions to Aide.

A while after Gajeel crawled into bed, Aide had turned around and snuggled closer to Gajeel.

* * *

><p>"First things first; we need to find these magic cores." Erza said, her arms across her chest and her face thoughtful. "Fortunately, we have a book that Levy must have read through. We found it at her house." She said, and Lucy placed the mentioned book on the table. Lucy had the important pages bookmarked.<p>

At that moment, Gajeel was also reading Levy's diary.

_I wish I could become magic, to support everyone I love silently and without them realizing. When they're in trouble, I would give them a massive amount of magic so that they could still fight and survive. I don't know whether I can go back to them, but if I could become magic, I could be with them. I could be with him._

_The reason I picked this house is because it's near one of those 'magic cores' I've been reading about. The book I read up on about these magic cores had a secret map to one of them, and I've managed to reveal it! It's amazing to be so close to a magic core. I think it's pretty much unknown to everyone else, and I think it doesn't show itself unless people really want to see it._

The entry ended without her explaining how she revealed it, but it is a diary after all, it is meant to be private. Aide was once again busy playing with the Exceeds while Lucy grinned proudly. "I have found out the map to the magic core, and it's near Levy's home!" She said.

Gajeel looked slightly surprised, but he made himself comfortable in his seat. As expected, Lucy was one of Levy's closest friends, and shared the same interests. Of course she could figure it out.

"You found mama?" Aide asked Lucy, and the blonde woman smiled at him.

"We're close! It'll be a matter of time until she's back home!" Lucy said cheerfully, to Aide's delight. Then the boy's smile faded, making the people around him look in concern. He looked thoughtful.

"Home…in the woods?" He asked. The boy was still confused as to where his home is.

"Home is here, in Fairy Tail." Lucy said gently, patting his head. From behind, Natsu snickered.

Natsu pointed to his Fairy Tail mark on his arm. "You'll have an awesome mark of our guild, like the rest of us!" He said haughtily. "Even your mom has it!"

Aide turned to look at Gajeel. The man wondered if he was supposed to say something, when the boy came closer as if something had caught his eye. Aide pointed at Gajeel's arm, which had the Fairy Tail mark. He stood in front of Gajeel and jumped enthusiastically. "I want it too!"

Gajeel ruffled his head. "We'll bring your mom back first and then she'll be with you to see it." He said. Aide nodded.

Erza smiled at the scene. "Alright," She said, her tone serious. "We will now head to the magic core." She said, to everyone's agreement.

Aide looked at Gajeel, Erza, Lucy, Natsu, Gray, and then to a Juvia who seemed to flail her arms around excitedly while saying she would follow 'Gray-sama' everywhere. "I want to go too!" He said.

"No." Gajeel said sternly, to everyone's surprise and disheartening Aide.

"Why?" Aide asked, upset and disappointed. "I travelled from the house in the woods all the way here alone!" He said stubbornly.

"Because it could be dangerous!" Gajeel reprimanded Aide. "And who knows what could happen when you're exposed to a large amount of magic!"

Aide clenched his fists. "I can protect myself!" He shouted with his small voice, standing vehemently in front of Gajeel, although his father loomed over him and he was completely covered by the man's shadow. Yet the boy did not flinch.

"Well, I can see Gajeel's point of view, but it should be fine if Aide comes along…shouldn't it?" Lucy asked, although she knew Gajeel has the most power to make the decision, with him being Aide's father, despite the boy being oblivious to the fact.

Aide looked tough at first, but he started to tear up when Gajeel did not make another response. His body shook slightly, trying to hold back from crying. He is not a crybaby. He would not cry and throw tantrums.

After a few seconds, Gajeel sighed. "Fine." He mumbled, to Aide's delight. The boy jumped in glee, laughing and jumping around with Natsu and Happy when Lucy walked towards Gajeel.

"Good going, dad." She teased, to which he only grunted.

"He's just like his mom; giving me all sorts of trouble."

* * *

><p>As they travelled back to the little house in the woods, Gajeel warned Aide strictly about some rules to follow. "You're small, so you have to stick close to any of us. Don't wander off on your own." He said, and then he remembered a familiar memory of him telling Levy not to leave his side when Grimoire Heart attacked on Tenrou Island. "You're small, so don't leave my side." He mumbled, and Aide replied with a cheerful 'yes'.<p>

The long walk to the house began once again, and during that time, Aide was starting to look doubtful. It was not unnoticed by the rest as they saw his usual cheerful state becoming less and less, and Erza decided to ask the boy why he didn't look so energetic now.

"I was wondering…" He paused for a moment, contemplating on whether he should really ask the adults the question that upset him. After Happy's encouragement, Aide finally let out his thoughts. "What if mama doesn't want to come back? What if she's happy being magic?"

Everyone stopped in their tracks. Gajeel stared at his son. "She's happiest when she's with everyone she loves," Gajeel said, catching the boy's attention. "I know that those are her true feelings."

Lucy placed a hand on Aide's shoulder. "She will come back to us." She said with a small smile. "She will come back to you."

Looking at everyone's confident faces, he nodded and once again, everyone continued to go to the house in the woods.

* * *

><p>By the time they arrived at the house, it was nighttime. They decided to stay in the house and in the morning, use the map to find the exact location of the magic core. Gajeel had Levy's second diary in his hands, reading it in the corner of the room with a small light illuminating the content of the book.<p>

_Aide is incredible. He tries hard to do things on his own. Maybe it's his own way of easing the work that I have, but he's adorable. Sometimes things trouble him, but he tries to deal with it himself. He wouldn't even tell me what's wrong! And truthfully, I worry sometimes. I wish he would tell me, so that I could help. Even when he has nightmares at night, he doesn't rely on me so much. _

Gajeel held back a snicker. The last sentence was definitely familiar.

_I guess he's a lot like me in that sense. But I see a lot of things that remind me of Gajeel in him. Like his habits. Oh, sometimes I get so angry at Aide. He's only three, but he's climbing trees and our roof! I know Gajeel likes high places too, but really, AIDE IS ONLY THREE! I don't even know how he's able to do that with his little hands and feet! And the other day he ate his spoon. To be honest, when I saw him eat it I started to cry. I didn't realize he resembled his father so much. _

_I love Aide, I love him so, so much. If anything happens to him, I'd die. _

_I really miss everyone in the guild._

_And Gajeel._

He closed the diary, sighing inaudibly. If he could meet her right now, he would give her a tight hug and never let her go again. He would haul her on his shoulder, even if she would thrash about and demand him to put her down, and he wouldn't let Aide out of his sight either. He could imagine Aide to be gleefully following them though.

* * *

><p>The group was abruptly awakened when they heard a rumbling outside. Erza rushed out ahead, drawing her sword when she found that it was an enemy. Lucy and Natsu rushed out as well, leaving Gajeel with Aide, who cowered in fear. "If you're afraid, you won't stand a chance." Gajeel said.<p>

The boy shook his head. "It's those monsters; those monsters which beat mama!" He said.

Gajeel was stunned for a moment, but regained his composure. He ruffled Aide's head. "I'll beat them down for what they've done to your mom. Go find a safer place." He said as he ran out of the house, ready to attack the monsters.

There were three in total, and they were indeed powerful. But these monsters somehow looked different. They even felt and smelled different.

"Oi, Gajeel." Natsu said as they took a breath. "They don't really feel like monsters." He said.

Gajeel grunted. "Yeah. They seem…different."

Lucy looked at Natsu. "What does that mean?" She asked. Erza, Gray, and Juvia were keeping each one of them busy on their own, but they needed help soon.

"It's as if…" Gajeel thought for a moment. "It's as if they're protecting something."

Natsu looked at Lucy. "Oi, Lucy. Take out the map and see if we're near the magic core." Lucy nodded, running to a safer area and looking at the map.

"Natsu! We are near! We're very near, there should be a cave somewhere here!" She yelled.

Just then Aide ran out, swiftly moving his fingers. "Solid Script: Fire!" He yelled, throwing the burning word towards one of the monsters. The monster turned its attention on the boy, reading to swing its arms towards him.

"Aide!" Gajeel yelled, running quickly towards him, grabbing him into the man's arms and attempting to evade the attack.

Except the attack had landed on Gajeel's back, and a sharp pain was felt by the man as he crashed into the ground, his son still caged in his arms as a form of protection.

Aide trembled in fear. "Ga...jeel." He mumbled from within Gajeel's arms. "Fa…ther?" He mumbled again. The boy whimpered.

"…Don't cry." Gajeel said hoarsely, standing up with the boy still in his arms. "I won't die from this much." He grunted out as he set the boy down on his feet and ruffled his head. He smirked. "What good's a dad if he didn't protect his son?"

Aide's eyes brightened up, as well as glistening from his tears. "I knew it!" He wiped his tears away and beamed a grin.

Gajeel grinned back. In that moment when he was hit by the monster, with Aide is his arms, he felt Levy's presence. He felt her reach out to him, as if she tried to protect him from the attack. He also felt her thoughts, and the familiar warmth embracing him.

_I'm here, Gajeel. I'm here._

Gajeel looked at the monsters, his stern look sent the monsters some form of understanding. "Levy's here," He said to the group, who were panting from the fight. "Maybe she'll help us out."

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

To be honest, I've been more excited writing my other story (Just a little more) and I've had some mild writer's block for this story.

Also, I have written a Christmas one-shot on Gajeel and Levy and it would be appreciated if there are any critiques/reviews on it!

Thank you for reading, as always!


	5. Reaching You

**5. Reaching You**

The group retreated for the moment, until they were once again prepared to make their way to the magic core. It appears that the three monsters were protecting a cave entrance, and undoubtedly there would be where the magic core resides. To think they were right near it. Gajeel rest his back on a tree and groaned, but the injury was not heavy. Aide sat right next to his father, hugging his knees to his chest. "You weren't lying, right?" The boy asked timidly.

Gajeel looked down at the boy and placed his hand on his head. "I don't lie." He said. _Although I may have said a number of mistakes_, he thought. "I am your dad. Your mother said so, in her diary."

Aide grinned to himself, feeling incredibly happy yet silently. He looked just like Levy, and Gajeel patted the boy's head. "We're finally going to be a family, huh?" Gajeel said with a small smile.

The boy nodded his head vigorously, which only portrayed his enthusiastic and excited emotions.

While Erza, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Juvia and Happy discussed on taking a less risky tactic when facing those monsters again, Gajeel thought for a moment. "Aide," He spoke, and the boy responded eagerly with an 'hm?'

"When you lived in that house, did your mother always look okay?" Gajeel asked.

The boy looked at his father for some time. "Mama," The boy looked pensive, and then had a sad look on his face. "I think she was tired, but she always smiles." He said. He started to have tears in his eyes. "Is that why she left? Because she was tired? Tired…of being with me?" He asked, the hurt and fear evident in his little voice.

Gajeel turned to face the boy. "Your mom smiles because she loves you." Gajeel said. "And I'm sure she never wanted to leave you. And I'm sure she was never tired of being with you. The reason why she worked so hard is because she wanted you to be happy, and she wanted to be happy with you." Gajeel paused, scratching his head lightly. He didn't know he had it in him to say all of that. Do fathers get this way when they care for kids? He wondered.

But he could see that his response gave the boy gentle comfort, as Aide once again smiled widely to himself, possibly keeping his father's words close to his heart.

"Well, you two, ready to go?" They heard Lucy ask, with the rest waiting for them with smiles.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, papa. I'll try not to do anything dangerous like just now," Aide said as they were facing the monsters once again.<p>

"Papa?" Gajeel repeated, feeling unfamiliar with the word. "Well, I guess I can't complain." He said helplessly. "Don't panic and stay close." He said, earning nods from his son.

Erza looked at Gajeel. "We thought the best thing to do is to distract their attention while you and Aide quickly slip inside the cave."

He stared at the rest. Natsu and Gray grinned. "Who else could reach out to her but you and Aide?" Natsu said with his usual wide grin, and Happy agreed with an 'Aye!'

Juvia smiled gently at Gajeel and patted Aide's head. "Juvia thinks that Levy will come back…if Gajeel and Aide talk to her." She said.

"So get to that magic core and bring us back our important friend!" Gray said.

"And this time…become a family in Fairy Tail." Lucy smiled encouragingly.

Aide laughed excitedly. Gajeel gave a gentle, warm sigh, and smiled. "Alright, I get it." He said, his expression enough for them to know that he was wishing them safety. "This feels somehow messed up."

* * *

><p>They were huge, now that Aide finally looked at them properly. He didn't quite have the courage to look at them because of the memory of his mother defeated by them, but now that he had his father beside him, he didn't feel as terrified.<p>

"I'd rather say they're guardians than monsters though." Gajeel said while they waited until the monsters had their full attentions on the rest of the group.

Aide stared at one of the monster's head. It had no neck, and its eyes were like slits. There didn't seem to be any mouth or ears on their rounded heads. It had a pair of wings, white in colour, and its body overall is white in colour. A little tail protruded from its behind. While they had lanky arms and legs, they looked as if they could be related to holy-like beings, except... "They look…creepy." Aide said.

"They do." Gajeel said, watching the situation closely. "Maybe they're born from the magic core."

Aide eventually held onto Gajeel's pants, to the man's surprise. "What's wrong?" He asked.

Aide shook his head. "I feel a little scared…"

Gajeel caught Erza's gaze at him; a signal that they should be fine to go. Gajeel held out his hand for Aide. "I'll be holding you. Let's go." He grabbed onto the boy, and the boy clutched his father's shirt tightly. _What I can do right now…is to get us back together_, he thought determinedly.

Erza and Juvia had managed to defeat one of the monsters by then, and Gajeel and Aide were there to witness it…only for the monster to reappear in its full health again. Shocked for a moment, they realized that these monsters are indeed guardians for the magic cores. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why people couldn't or wouldn't dare go near a magic core. But that was not a good reason for Gajeel and everyone else to stop now. "Go, Gajeel!" Juvia said, a reassuring smile on her face.

Gajeel nodded, continuing his way to reach the entrance of the cave. One of the monsters appeared before him, swinging its arms towards him. He transformed his arm into an iron club, managing to push the monsters arms away, but not without being pushed back. He gritted his teeth. It was a little hard with a kid in his arms. The monster swung its arms again, and Gajeel was prepared to use an arm as a shield.

"Solid Script: Shield!" He heard a small voice say near him. The word appeared, turning into a large shield that took the hit and crumbled. Gajeel looked down at the boy, who grinned a little wearily. "I'm here too!" He boasted.

Gajeel smirked, and then Natsu and Gray kicked the monster out of the way. "Go ahead!" Natsu cheered, and Gajeel took the opportunity to make a dash to the cave entrance.

Once he stepped into the cave, it was quiet. The sounds of the battle taking place just outside were not heard from inside the cave. Gajeel set Aide down on his feet. Aide looked around the place. The cave glowed with white light, and the source of the light was undoubtedly at the end of the cave. "It's so quiet." The boy said, holding onto his father's hand. He shivered, but it was not cold. It felt strange inside this cave, almost frightening, and that only made the boy's grip on his father's hand tighter.

"Let's go deeper in," Gajeel said. "Don't be afraid of the magic." He said, although he too felt a little frightened of the power brimming within. It was not as if he didn't want to become stronger, but he knew that a sudden intake of power would lead to unwanted results. And then he paused. "You feel it, don't you?"

Aide nodded. Knowing that the boy isn't going to let go anytime soon, Gajeel started to walk, but he realized his pace was too quick for the small boy. "You alright?" He asked. _Maybe I should slow down, we are in an unfamiliar place_, he thought. But the boy shook his head furiously, only to trip. He was caught before hitting the ground by Gajeel.

And then the boy had let go of his father's hand, trying to keep up with his father's pace. It was not unnoticed by Gajeel, and the man had wondered why Aide hasn't said a word since they entered the place. Is it too frightening for him? Gajeel offered his hand, but the boy shook his head once again. "What's wrong with you?" He asked eventually.

Aide looked up at his father in determination. "When I see mama, I'll show her that I'm stronger and I can protect her!" He said.

Gajeel looked down at his confident son, and felt a little disheartened, to his own surprise. _Guess I'm not so needed anymore then_, he thought with a grumble. He patted the boy's head. "We're getting closer, so you'll be able to meet her soon."

* * *

><p>It took a while until they reached the source of the light, and the room where the magic core resided was bright, almost making the room a white room. The wall before them shined beautifully, and the magic core must be the entire wall. While Gajeel was awed by the sight, Aide was a ball of excitement, intrigue, and surprise. "Papa! Papa!" He said, repeating the words while he tugged on his father's pants.<p>

"Yeah, yeah. Calm down, you'll rip my pants." Gajeel said.

"…Mama is in there?" He asked, his voice sounding very innocent and intrigued rather than afraid.

Gajeel thought for a moment. There should not be any reason to doubt. "She is."

All of a sudden, Aide ran towards the wall. "Oi, Aide! Wait, don't be reckless!" Gajeel ran after him, only for the boy to turn into glittering light, and fading into the wall in front of him.

"Fuck. Shit. Shit, shit." Gajeel felt his heart constrict in worry and fear. What if he loses the boy? What if the boy loses himself into the depths of magic, and won't be able to return? What about Levy? Would he be able to save them both? What if they've been engulfed by the magic core and cannot return? "What the fuck do I do? Levy!" He called out, feeling helpless. He had not expected this to occur.

"**You're silly, you know that?**" He heard a familiar voice in his head. "**After telling Aide not to be afraid of the magic, you're the one who's afraid!**"

"Levy?" He asked.

"**Toughen up! Geez, I can't believe I'm telling you this, out of all people! I'll help find Aide, so you should grab onto him the moment you see him, okay?**"

"Huh? How do I do that? He's probably all glitter in there!"

"**Use your magic to pull him out. If you just use your arm to grab onto him, you'll be okay.**"

And true to her words, a figure resembling Aide was seen near the wall. Gajeel was nervous, but he did as she told him to. Gathering up his magic and concentrating it to his arm, he was ready to stick his hand in and grab the boy out of the magic. And then once again, he felt Levy's warm presence on his arm where the bulk of his magic was.

"**Just like that, Gajeel.**"

And he stuck his hand inside and grabbed Aide, pulling him out of the magic core. The force that pulled him into the magic core was strong, but Gajeel wasn't going to give up. He gathered his strength to pull Aide back to him, and he became the victor. He fell backwards with Aide in his arms, unconscious. Then he looked back to the bright wall and saw the familiar figure of the woman he loves. "Levy! Grab my hand!" He said, ready to stick his hand back inside for her.

But her expression was hesitant, and she faltered.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

I feel like I haven't updated in ages! Sorry about that. I guess I got a little lazy (and distracted with anime and manga). So...I think this story is ending really quickly, and it's faster than I thought but I don't know, maybe I'm not so cut out for these slightly action type stories. On the other hand, I also think it's nicer that the story is not too long (although this story may be short).

Reviews please!~


	6. Levy McGarden

**6. Levy McGarden**

Levy faltered when seeing his outstretched hand. Gajeel was confused, and afraid. How long could he keep his hand out there for her, without the possibility that he could be sucked into the magic? He was desperate to take her back. "Levy, hurry." He said, the urgency and fear evident in his voice.

He had not been so afraid in his life before, because this time he didn't fear for his safety but for Levy's and Aide's. But he couldn't understand why she was so hesitant.

"**I don't have the right to return after all that's happened.**" She said softly with regret deep in her voice. "**You'll lose yourself in here if you keep your hand inside.**" She said, sounding distant.

He could see her only vaguely as it was only her silhouette, but he could hear the sadness, regret and longing in her voice. He could feel Levy's warmth, but he could feel all other emotions she was feeling right now; sadness, regret, longing, and love. "I'm not afraid of becoming part of the magic." He said calmly. "I'm only afraid that you won't be here where everyone else is; where Aide is."

"**I can't return! I…I did everything wrong! I messed up!**" She cried. "**I'm a failure as a friend, as a mother, and a failure as…as lover.**" He heard sobs. "**So don't tell me to return, please. I can't look at anyone in the eye if I did, most of all at you and Aide.**"

"You don't have to carry all that regret on your shoulders, alone!" He yelled at her. "No one is angry at you, and no one hates you!"

"**That's why…I can't return. I made such a terrible mistake, because of my fear.**" She said.

"Levy," Gajeel said, his voice gentle and calm. "You're an idiot."

She fell silent, though he started to be able to her clearer now. Her tears were running but she looked like a girl standing and waiting for the scolding to cease. "Everyone searched for you. I searched for you. I waited for you. I missed you. And now you're here, right in front of me. I came here _for you_. Doesn't that mean anything?" He asked her.

"Outside, right now, Lucy, Natsu and everyone else are waiting to see you. Aide is here for you, and you know that. You know we're all here for you."

"**I know. I know that but I don't know…what to do anymore. I don't know if it's really alright for me to return.**"

"If you're going to cry about it, cry out here where I am." He opened the palm of his hand in front of her, so she could hold on to him. "If you can't look at the others for what you've done, then keep looking at me." He said. "It's simple, ain't it?"

She giggled tearfully. "You're carrying too much on your own since five years ago. It's okay to let go of them now." He urged her on, trying to convince her to return.

"Mama." Levy and Gajeel heard Aide say, and they looked at him. The boy looked tearful. "I-If mama wants to say inside the magic then…then I won't stop you." He said, holding back his tears. "Because I want mama to be happy."

Tears dropped from Levy's eyes once again. "No, Aide. What makes me happiest is to be with you. I'm sorry I left you alone all this while." She said.

And then Gajeel felt a warm sensation on his hand. "Levy?" He asked with widened, hopeful eyes.

"**I'm sorry, Gajeel. I…I really want to come back.**" She said with a smile. "**I can't bear to be without you and Aide anymore.**"

"Stupid, I was about to pull you out of there even if you didn't tell me to." He grinned, using all of his strength to pull her out. It was more difficult pulling her out than he did with Aide because she had been inside longer than the boy. He felt some of his magic being sapped away from him. "Fuck, Levy, I'm not letting go of you this time." He said as he sweat, the force of the magic from the core trying to keep Levy in.

"**I'm not letting go of you too, Gajeel! I'll do my best to get out of here too!**" She said, using her own, although weaker, strength to push herself out of the core.

Aide wanted to help too, but as soon as he stepped forward to offer help, a flash of light appeared and he was blinded for a second. When the light dissipated, he saw a groaning Gajeel with a blue haired woman on top of him, who exhaled breathlessly and sat up, although she was still on top of him. "Mama!" The boy shouted happily, and then stopped. "You're not wearing clothes."

Gajeel propped himself up on his elbows when a deep red blush spread across Levy's cheeks. She covered herself by wrapping her arms around Gajeel and crushing her body against his. "Don't look! Don't look!" She shrieked in embarrassment.

"Doing that doesn't really help me in anyway," Gajeel grunted as he felt her chest pressed against his.

"Don't get dirty thoughts in the wrong place at the wrong time!" She yelled.

Aide started laughing. The two looked at the boy, who ran towards his mother. Levy moved away from Gajeel to wrap her arms around him. "I'm so sorry, Aide, for leaving you that day. Will you forgive me?" She asked him gently.

Aide looked up at her. "But mama, I was never angry at you." He said.

She chuckled. Just then, she heard Lucy and the rest calling out her, Gajeel, and Aide's names. The three were standing by then, but the moment she heard the group arrive, she rushed back to Gajeel's side and hid her body behind his large one. She blushed profusely. "Oh God, I'm nude!" She said in embarrassment.

Lucy stopped, seeing her blue haired friend who smiled in embarrassment from behind Gajeel. "Levy!" She screamed in delight as she ran towards her. They hugged, and Natsu and Gray asked why Levy was hiding, but was stopped by Gajeel to ask any further. "You're not stepping any closer." The Iron Dragon Slayer hissed, and the two guys got the warning and backed away.

Lucy took out a key and summoned Virgo. "Yes, my Lady?" The spirit asked. "Punishment?"

Levy giggled as Lucy chided the spirit, and requested Virgo to bring clothes for Levy. Not any later did Virgo reappear with a navy blue dress for Levy, and she quickly dressed into the clothes. "I feel much better now." Levy said with relief.

She then looked at the rest of the group, and blushed, this time from shyness, and then tears started falling once again. "I'm sorry for everything." She sobbed as she received hugs from Erza, Juvia, and Lucy.

Natsu patted her head while Gray smiled encouragingly at Levy. Gajeel smiled at the scene, and then he felt a light pressure on his leg. Aide buried his face in Gajeel's pants. "What's wrong?" The man asked.

Aide started crying. "I'm happy mama's back." He said through his tears, earning a laugh from his father. Levy wiped her tears and looked at Aide and Gajeel. She chuckled, going to Aide and lifting him into her arms.

"This time, we'll always be together." She said, kissing his forehead lovingly.

* * *

><p>When Levy came back, the whole guild shouted in joy. Everyone was happy and nothing hurt. And a particular someone always, always hogged her attention.<p>

And that someone is Aide.

He clung to her like glue, wherever she went and whenever she went to places, except the washroom. He took baths with her like he used to, and slept on her lap whenever she had the chance to read her books again. He would trail after her and be loved by her.

And it irritated Gajeel.

He bit into his iron irritatedly. Panther Lily looked amused, knowing that the man was jealous of his own son. "Calm yourself, if you want more of her attention then why not do the same as your son?" The Exceed said easily. Before Gajeel could make a snarky reply, Levy called Lily. "Oops." The Exceed said sarcastically as he flew over to Levy and Aide.

They conversed for a while when Levy looked teary eyed and she hugged the Exceed, probably because Lily said something that touched her. He got up, swallowed the iron in his mouth and stomped over to the two. Levy looked up at Gajeel questioningly. She smiled. But he was not smiling. She tilted her head quizzically. She did not remember making him angry. In fact, the nights since she came back to the guild were spent with Gajeel, doing…this and that.

But Gajeel was not satisfied. He picked her up with ease and threw her over his shoulder, carrying her like a sack of potatoes. She yelped, to the guild's surprise. "Papa, what are you doing?" Aide asked.

Gajeel patted his son's, and grinned widely with hidden (perverted) intentions evident in his smile. It was something that Aide missed, but was noticed by Lily. The Exceed averted his gaze from the humans with a hint of red across his cheeks. "Well, just play with Lily for a while; I have to talk about a few things with your mom." The man said as he walked away with Levy hitting his back and demanding him to put her down. "We'll be back later."

* * *

><p>Levy pouted under the bed covers where she lay naked with Gajeel. "I can't believe you're jealous of your own son." She said, although she found it incredibly amusing and adorable.<p>

He grunted, pulling her closer to him. "You spoil him too much."

She giggled as she buried her face in his bare chest. "Maybe so. But he's just too adorable. And I left him alone too long, so I want to make up for it." She said, the last sentence particularly softly, and then she grinned when she looked up at him, placing her soft palm on his cheek lovingly. "But I'm sorry you've been feeling ignored for this whole time, Gajeel. You know I love you, always." She giggled.

"You can make up for it by staying by him as you are right now, forever. And I'll be here too." He said with his gruff voice as he nuzzled her head. "You know _I'll _always love you."

"MAMA! PAPA!" They heard a familiar little voice shout from outside the house, interrupting their romantic moment.

Levy shot up and started putting on her clothes. "Aide! Don't shout with such a loud voice, people will be troubled!" She chided when she opened the door for the boy. Lily was standing beside the boy, shrugging helplessly.

"The boy couldn't wait any longer." The dark Exceed said.

Gajeel appeared beside Levy, yawning. He was shirtless but had his pants on. "Well, I guess we did take a long time…" He grinned. "Talking." He snickered, only to receive a light slap from Levy. Aide hugged his mother, and Gajeel started sulking again. "Yeah, always stick to your mom, and never once to me. Why don't I get any love." He mumbled sulkily, surprising Levy and Aide.

"So you're also jealous that Aide has his attention on me, too?" Levy asked with a smile playing on her lips. "Aide, looks like papa wants you. He's lonely." She said with amusement.

Gajeel looked away when he felt Aide tug his pants and beamed a smile at him. The boy effectively tugged on Gajeel's heart as well, and the man picked up his son. "We're taking a bath." He said, and Aide grinned and nodded.

Levy watched them go towards the bathroom, and looked at Lily. "Would you like to join us for dinner?" She asked.

"May I?" Lily asked, feeling shy on imposing on the sweet family scene.

"Lily's also part of our family, so of course you can!" Levy giggled. "I have to thank you loads for everything, too."

"Oi, Aide! Don't run in the bathroom since it's wet! You'll hurt yourself!" Levy and Lily heard Gajeel chide his son.

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

Ooh final chapter!~ Well, no exactly. I want to write a real final chapter and wrap it up. But you know, it's sort of already the final chapter. I guess it's quite a short story, but I hope I didn't disappoint anyone (well, not too much). Anyway, look forward to the next, final chapter! Thanks everyone, for reading this!


	7. Love is a Flower, You are its Seed

**7. Love is a Flower, You are its Seed.**

It's been two months since Levy's return, and since then a happy surprise reached the guild's ears. Lucy wanted to keep it a secret at first, but apparently Natsu was too enthusiastic and proud that he announced it to the guild first thing in the morning after Lucy found out the unexpected yet exciting news.

"Lucy!" Levy hugged her blonde friend in joy. "Congratulations!" She said, her face beaming with happiness and excitement for her friend. "I just knew it! If you need any help in raising the child, I'll be there to help!"

Lucy placed her hand on her stomach, blushing lightly. "Thanks, Levy!" She said, wiping a teardrop from her eye and hugging Levy once again. "And you've got to tell him too." She said, and Levy blushed. Their touching moment between friends was cut short when Natsu was breathing fire in the excitement of it all once again, and Lucy had to stop him. Levy took her seat next to Aide and sighed happily. The boy watched Natsu with giggles, and then looked at his mother.

"Does this mean Lucy-_nee_ will be a mama?" Aide asked.

Levy chuckled. "Yup. And you'll be a big brother when the baby is born." Levy said. "Isn't that exciting?"

Aide's eyes widened at his mother's words. The prospect of becoming an older brother seemed to intrigue him. "What do I do?" He asked nervously.

Levy laughed. "You just have to be there for him. Or her." Levy paused, looking pensive. "Hm, I wonder if she'll give birth to a girl or a boy." She smiled to herself.

Gajeel had just entered the guild and walked towards the two. "Papa!" Aide beamed a smile. "I'm going to be a big brother!" He said excitedly. Gajeel froze, looking at a smiling Levy who was still lost in her thoughts.

"What?" The iron dragon slayer asked his son. "You mean your mother's pregnant again?"

Aide became confused. "Mama's pregnant?" He asked.

Just then Levy snapped out of her thoughts and she looked at Gajeel. "Oh, you're here. You missed the great news! Although I'm sure if you asked around they'll tell you about it…" Gajeel stood in front of her, looking down at her nervously. She raised an eyebrow at him. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Are we getting another kid?" He asked. "Don't get me wrong, I-I just—it's sudden, so…"

Levy looked at him in confusion when she heard Aide talking to Lucy about being a 'big brother', and Levy started to laugh. Gajeel's mouth gaped open slightly as she was laughing, wondering what was so funny about it all. Her laughter subsided and she looked up at him sweetly. "It's not me, it's Lucy. She's carrying Natsu's child." She said, giggling for a moment. "Don't worry, we're not expecting another child…yet." She said, adding the last two words softly, but it did not escape Gajeel's ears.

"Yet…?" He asked.

"W-Well, I don't know, we've been…making love quite a lot, so there are possibilities…" She said with a blush. She started to feel nervous. "B-But what if I am…pregnant?" She asked with a meek voice, her nervousness evident in her voice.

He realized she was afraid once again. He gave a tiny sigh, sitting beside her and pulling her close to him. "I want you to know that this time I want to be with you so don't be afraid. We can have another kid, and another, and dozens, as long as we stick together."

Levy felt tears prickle in her eyes and she smiled. "Mm," She hugged him as she made a sound of agreement. "But dozens are bit too…tough." She giggled as Gajeel gave a grunt. They broke the hug as she beamed a smile up at him, and he gave her a gentle smile, only for his family. Levy then went to Aide. "Aide! You're going to get a younger sibling!" She giggled, catching Gajeel by surprise.

"What?" The man asked her, and she turned to face him and she giggled with a 'heehee'. "Don't 'heehee' me, you should have told me straight out!" He said as Natsu patted his back, proudly boasting something along the lines of 'my kid is gonna be better than yours', which led to a physical argument between the two fathers.

* * *

><p><strong>Three years later—<strong>

"No, you may not." Levy said sternly at her now eight year old son. He looked at her dejectedly. Gajeel gave her a dejected look as well.

"But I'm there." The dragon slayer said.

"It is still too early for him to go for such a dangerous mission," Levy said. "Even if you're there. Besides, didn't you always say you liked to do things solo?"

While Aide and Gajeel were looking at Levy dejectedly, Lily was nodding in agreement. "I agree. Aide is still much too young to go on such a high class mission. Also," He gave a small pause. "Gajeel has the tendency to go wild and forget about things around him."

Gajeel barked at the Exceed. "I'll be careful this time!" He said. And then he felt a tug on his shirt and he looked down at the small figure nestled on his lap, her face rubbing in his shirt as she yawned groggily, awoken from her sleep although she was still tired. She would have fallen off him in her sleepy stupor had she not been held by Gajeel's gentle yet firm grip.

The little girl of three years inherited her mother's blue hair and her father's red coloured eyes, but they were big and bright, brimming with curiosity and perhaps even a thirst for adventure. She is a little different from Aide in personality, as the boy was quite obedient but the girl was wild, just like her father.

"Oops," Levy smiled, as the girl started to whimper and groan, upset that she was woken up from her sleep. Levy stroked the girl's head. "Sorry, Reina, we must have been a little too loud. We should put her in her crib." But Reina refused to let go of her father as she gripped his shirt tight and buried her face in his chest. Levy stood up straight, her hands on her hips as she smirked. "Well, perhaps I should go on the mission instead while you take care of Reina." She said.

Gajeel smiled at his daughter. She rubbed her eyes and looked up at him with a smile. Levy sighed helplessly with a smile. "Let's go the guild." She said, with her holding Aide's hand and Gajeel carrying Reina in his arms.

* * *

><p>Natsu was cackling as he threw his daughter into the air, the girl giggling excitedly and happily as she flew into the air. Lucy, on the other hand, was nearly turning into a nervous wreck. "Natsu! Don't throw Layla up in the air so high! What if she hits the ceiling? I can't bear to watch this." She sipped her drink as Mirajane laughed.<p>

"Hi, Lucy!" Levy said, with Aide running off to the other kids in the guild and playing with them. She noticed Natsu playing with Layla rather roughly, and placed her hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Oh, I'm sure he won't do anything silly." Levy comforted her.

"I know," Lucy said with a sigh. "But I still worry. And you know what, he hasn't let go of Layla for the whole day! I think he dotes on her too much." She said. "He brings home all these strange things for Layla, and that girl seems to love them too."

Levy laughed, and she sat next to Lucy. She looked at Gajeel who was eating iron, and Reina who was drinking her bottle of milk on her father's lap. After a while, Reina hopped off Gajeel's lap and stood passively, looking around the guild. Perhaps she was still getting used to her surroundings, when she felt a gaze upon her. She faced Layla, and their eyes locked together. Natsu noticed first. "Yo, Gajeel, looks like Reina's looking at _my_ Layla." He said with a grin.

"It's probably because Layla was looking at _my_ Reina, Salamander." Gajeel scoffed.

It was silent between Levy, Lucy, Gajeel, and Natsu as they looked at their daughters. "Do you think they're having a mutual connection? Maybe they're going to become best friends like us!" Levy said excitedly, and Lucy nodded in agreement.

But they were wrong.

The girls then lashed out into a physical fight, rolling around the floor and screaming. "Why?" Levy and Lucy asked, startled and rushing to break the fight between the girls, while Gajeel and Natsu were laughing and cheering their daughters on. "How can you be laughing when they might get seriously injured?" Levy yelled.

"I think it's healthy." Natsu said, only to receive a comical slap from Lucy. Gajeel fell silent with the angry glare he received from Levy.

Reina and Layla still looked at each other with fiery gazes, and it reminded their parents of the sort of eyes that Gajeel and Natsu always gave when they look at each other. "I think they're going to grow up to become rather scary people." Lucy mumbled to Levy. "Like their fathers." Levy added.

* * *

><p>It took a while to quell the fight between them, and Levy sat next to Gajeel with a sigh and rests her head on his arm, with Reina on her lap. "Are you okay?" He asked her.<p>

"Just a little tired." She smiled as she stroked Reina's hair, lulling the girl to sleep. Aide had gone off on a little mission within the city with Romeo, thanks to Levy's approval. She started to remember all her memories from eight years ago, when she ran away from the guild, to three years ago when she returned, and to now, with her family of four. "It's incredible, don't you think?" She asked aloud, causing Gajeel to look at her curiously. She giggled. "I mean, remembering all that's happened in our lives, it's incredible that I'm here now, with you, and Aide and Reina, and the guild." There was a small pause. "Thank you, Gajeel."

He looked down at her, confused. "What did I do?"

"Stupid," She teased, giggling. "You came for me in the magic core three years ago, you forgave me for all I've done, and now we have a family and I'm…absolutely happy." She smiled at him. "So, thank you for everything, Gajeel."

He snickered, when Aide had returned from his mission. "I'm back!" He said gleefully as he proudly showed the two a small gold coin. "My first reward!" He said proudly. Reina spotted the shiny metal and reached out for it. Although Aide was reluctant at first, he finally gave it to his younger sister who beamed a smile at him.

Levy smiled, ruffling his head. "My greatest happiness is to be able to be in this family."

* * *

><p><strong>Notes:<strong>

So that's the end! I guess this chapter is more of an extra (a sappy extra), and that's why the previous chapter could have just been the final chapter. But I just wanted Reina and Layla in there. (Also I am going to name my child Reina)

Now I have two stories to update, and I've actually got another story in the works at the moment and I think I'm going to kill myself having three stories to update so I have no idea whether I should upload that third story. Should I?

Thanks so much for reading this to the very end, I hope you enjoyed it, although it's fine if you didn't enjoy this chapter because it's more of an extra/omake more than anything else.


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